Imagine Me and You
by Onomatopeia Jones
Summary: Emily Norman has a problem. She's with Peter, but she's in love with someone else. To further complicate the matter, that 'someone else' just so happens to be Edmund.
1. Prologue

_My, my, my, Emily Norman. Look at you. You're tossin' and turnin' at night. You just can't get no relief, can you? You can't sleep, 'cause when you do, all you see is him. You can't eat. Your appetite is gone. So why don't you just tell the boy how you feel? How much harm can you honestly do?_

_What? You don't want to cause a rift between trhe two brothers? Honey, you shoulda thought 'a that before you started making eyes at Edmund Pevensie even though you're Peter's girl. Baby, there ain't a whole lot you can do now. You're makin' yourself sick. You're killin' yourself slowly._

_You think Peter hasn't noticed? Ha. Baby, he ain't the only one changed since last summer. Girl, why'd you agree to be Peter's girl if you have it bad for Edmund? You didn't at first? It's just recently? Well, honey, if Peter's changed that much, he needs you now more than ever. The way I see it, sugar, you're in a lose-lose situation. You can't be with the one you love or love the one you're with._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_So, you've seen the kind of trouble I'm making for Emily, and you want to read on, eh? See who she chooses? See what she does? Well, good for you. Poor, poor little Emmy needs someone to try to save her from the sordid affair she may or may not get herself into, depending on which boy she chooses. At this point, I've just sown the seeds of discord between her and Peter. Oh, she was probably my favorite case. She was a challenge, that one._

I sighed as I walked to school with Peter's arm around my waist. Ever since he got back for the fall term, he'd been...different. Distant. He'd been so angry. It was starting to scare me. He'd been fighting. When he got in one of his moods, he was positively murderous. There was this one time, I was actually afraid of him when he raised a hand against me. He didn't touch me, but the way I felt around him was never the same again. I just wanted my lovable, sweet, slightly sarcastic Peter back. Something told me that was never going to happen, and I'm not proud of it, but I began closing myself off from him. Don't judge me! I didn't know him anymore, and by closing myself off from Peter, I was opening myself up to others. Others like Edmund.

I couldn't help it! He was so smart, and he was in my year, and he had this...this air about him, this sort of nobility. He was always a gentleman, even if he was speaking to someone who was acting less than a lady. And so handsome! Those deep, dark eyes. So mysterious, so captivating! Much different from the tormented blue depths of Peter's. Oh, it killed me to be thinking that way! Peter was wonderful. He was just going through a rough patch. He'd come out of it. Eventually. I hoped. Unfortunately, that left me wanting in the mean time. I tried my best to get through to him, but he wouldn't talk to me. Edmund, however, was warm and open...he talked to me, made me feel special, wanted. I knew that any attention he gave me was only of the friendly sort, but so starved for anything at all was I that I clung to the shred of hope that maybe, just maybe, Ed might return my feelings and didn't act on them only because of Peter.

"Right Em?" Peter said, smiling down at me. My heart just about melted. I lived for smiles like that, the ones that made it seem almost like old times. Sadly, they were very rapidly coming fewer and farther between.

"I'm sorry, my head was in the clouds. What'd you say, Pete?" I asked, smiling sheepishly.

He shook his head with a little chuckle. "Never mind, my little dreamer." It was a good day. It looked like Peter would be normal today, and not get into any fights or go into one of his volatile moods or anything. I tucked a stray bronze-colored curl behind my ear.

"That's me, Pete. Emily the Dreamer."

"You used to be so practical," he teased. "What happened?"

I shrugged. "I couldn't tell you." That was a lie. I knew exactly why I'd been so dreamy. I'd spent so much time fantasizing about Edmund, that's why. Also, I'd been talking a lot less. Before, I'd been quite the chatterbox, but then talking to Peter became like walking on eggshells. I had to be careful what I said, so his temper would stay at bay. Consequently, I kept many, many more comments and quips to myself than I ever would've before.

By that time, we'd reached school, so it was time for Peter and I to go our separate ways, since he was 2 years ahead of me. That was another way I justified my taking just the tiniest fancy after Edmund- he was in the same year as me, where Peter was two ahead. It made perfect sense, especially since Edmund and I had a number of classes together- maths, geography, history... I spent so much time with him, I couldn't help but fall for him! Or at least that's what I told myself. But I didn't want to hurt Peter. I wanted Peter to go back to normal. Unfortunately, he got further and further away from normal with every blow he took in every fight, like he'd done later that afternoon. I walked out to meet him, and there he was, duking it out with some big old bloke who could take him easily. Oh, Peter, I thought. What've you gotten into this time? I saw Edmund jump in, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. I silently thanked him for coming to Peter's aid. Peter was less than happy, though. "Ed, I don't need you to fight my battles for me!" Peter said, glaring at Edmund darkly.

Ed just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Lemme guess- you had it sorted. Peter, you need to stop getting into these fights!" Edmund scolded. "Em worries about you. So do the rest of us." I was reminded once more that I was supposed to be the sweet, caring girlfriend who was concerned for her beau's health and safety.

I cleared my throat. "Hey, Pete, Ed," I said, pasting on a sunshiny smile like I hadn't seen or heard a thing. "We all ready to walk home, then?" I said cheerily. Peter just scowled and shook his head. "I'm taking the long way home. You lot go on without me." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away. I sighed, watching after him.

Edmund rolled his eyes. "Best start home, then. You won't mind walking with me?" he said, giving me a teasing grin.

I smiled and shook my head. "Well, it'll be a great act of charity on my part, but I think I can condescend to walk with you," I joked back. We walked home like that, trading bad jokes and friendly digs, the same way we always did.

AN: I apologize for the Prologue of this story. It was really...odd, and really rather different from how I normally write. The prologue was rather abstract, and when I was writing it, I was kind of picturing the speaker as the 'shoulder-devil' softly speaking into my female lead's ear, like in those old cartoons how there's an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, and they're trying to get the character to make what the right decision from their perspective is. Only, instead of helping poor Em make a decision, the speaker is taunting her with her indecision. I'm SO sorry for the confusion, but please keep reading. Bear with me, it does get better. :) I promise.

AN 2: The italicized parts are the same speaker as the prologue- the little 'shoulder-devil' that's whispering to Emily, doing its best to stir up trouble for her and providing us with a little insight into our girl's swirl of emotions as she makes her choice between the two Pevensie brothers.


	3. Chapter 2

_Mm, mm, mm. Oh, Emily. Tryin' to resist the temptation? Trying not to break Peter's heart? Well, what about yours? Don't you deserve to be happy? Of course you do. Yessssssssss. That's exactly right. You're gonna spend as much time with Edmund as you can. You're gonna see a whole 'nother side of Peter, an ugly side you never knew existed. A side that reminds you of your dad. A side that's turning you into what you swore you'd never be. _

Peter and I were sitting at his kitchen table. He was nursing a horrendous hangover, and I was trying to do my maths homework. I struggled greatly with math. Before, I would've asked Peter to help me. He always had before, but I didn't want to bother him, nor did I want to provoke his temper with my inability to grasp the subject. I let out a small sigh as I worked at a particularly difficult problem, causing Peter to look up at me.

"Em, can you keep it down?" he asked snappishly, massaging his temples.

"Of course. Sorry, Pete," I murmured, not looking up at him. "Could I get you something, Peter? Some aspirin? A cup of coffee?" I made sure I spoke in low, soft tones. I'd experienced enough of my dad's... No. I was not going to compare Peter to my father. Peter loved me. At least, I thought he did.

"Some coffee would great, thanks," Peter replied, his head resting on his folded arms. I got up and poured him a cup of hot coffee from the pot on the stove.

"Here you are. Careful, it's hot. You might want to let it cool a bit," I said, setting the cup down in front of him and returning to my assignment. So how do I spend a rainy Saturday afternoon? Oh, struggling through my homework at my boyfriend's house while he grumps because he was up all night drinking. I frowned, not able to grasp the problem. Peter took a big swallow of his coffee. I'd warned him that it was hot. I had told him that he might want to let it cool. Even so, it was my fault that Peter scalded his tongue and the roof of his mouth.

"DAMMIT EMILY! WHAT'RE YOU TRYING TO DO, BURN MY INSIDES?!" Peter roared, standing up and towering over me.

"I-I'm sorry, Pete," I said, cowering in my chair.

"Why the bloody hell were you so thoughtless?!" Peter said, still standing over me. I was honestly afraid of what he'd do.

"Hey, what's up? I heard shouting," Edmund said, poking his head into the kitchen.

"Hey, Ed," I said quietly, looking down at my hands in my lap, my back to him. I couldn't look at him.

Peter glared at Ed. "It's nothing," he said. He clearly meant 'sod off and mind your own business.' I'd been around that sort of thing enough to know the difference between dismissal and hostility. I couldn't see him, but, from the way Peter's scowl deepened, I could imagine the look on Edmund's face as he took in the scene before him. I bristled when he sat down next to me. Peter huffed and stalked out of the room.

Finally, I turned to look at Edmund. "So, what're you having trouble with, Em?" he questioned gently.

His question startled me so. "W-what?" I replied dumbly, still shaken from the sight of Peter like... like that.

"Your maths homework," he said nodding toward my book. "What problems are you having trouble with?"

I looked at him gratefully. He didn't say anything about Peter. Just like the old days, when he didn't say anything about Dad, even though it was obvious. I slid my book so that it was sitting between us, and I pointed out the problem I'd gotten stuck on. Edmund nodded, and he patiently explained it to me, watching as I worked it out several times before getting it right. That was something I'd never noticed, that Edmund was so patient. It was rather nice, sitting with him there, as his friend, with him helping me with my homework. Even more than that, it was nice to be able to not have to be so incredibly cautious, watching my every step so that I don't make a wrong one. We finished the assignment eventually, but I didn't want to go home. I stuck my book and my notebook back into my bag. I grabbed the cup that Peter'd left untouched and took it to the sink, dumping out the cold coffee. I sighed. Edmund leaned against the counter next to me.

"Em," he said, trying to catch my eye. I wouldn't look at him.

"Em," he tried again, a bit more insistent this time. Still, I didn't look at him. I swished the cup around the soapy water before rinsing it out.

"Emily Jane Norman!" Edmund said frustratedly as I dried the cup. The difference between Edmund and Peter's frustration is that Peter's frightened me, and Edmund's didn't.

Stretching to put the cup back on the shelf, just out of my reach, I ignored him still. Edmund would want to talk about Peter's behvior, and it was non of his business. More than that, I just didn't want to talk about it. I heard Edmund sigh softly in resignation before he stood behind me, plucked the cup out of my hand, and placed it on the proper shelf. I turned around to face him. "What?" I said petulantly.

Edmund gave me a disapporving frown. "There's no need to get snippy with me," he said, putting his hands on the edge of the counter on either side of me, trapping me there. "Em, you deserve to be treated like a lady. Pter's actions are hardly gentlemanly, and you know it. He's going to end up hurting you. Please," Edmund said, his voice softening as he pleaded with me, "break up with him."

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked up at Edmund. "You know I can't do that, Ed. He needs me. He's just going through a rough patch. He hasn't laid a hand on me, I promise." Edmund had been the first person she'd shown the bruises to, before Dad... left.

"Em, do you have any idea what you sound like?" Edmund all but growled.

I couldn't look him in the eyes. Whether this was from shame or the effect Edmund's proximity was having on me, I couldn't say. "My mother," I said, my voice choked with conflicting emotions. "I sound like my mother."


End file.
